Can opener



H. C. HOYT April 19, 1960 CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 25, 1957 INVENTOR. HARVEY c. HOV? PATENT AGE/YT United States Patent CAN OPENER Harvey C. Hoyt, Cupertino, Calif.

Application February 25, 1957, Serial No. 641,927 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-52) The present invention relates generally to can openers and more particularly to devices for removing the tear strip from that variety of can which is opened through such tear-strip removal. A very great number of can openers have been proposed and constructed including quite a sizeable number designed primarily for the removal of tear strips from tin cans or containers. In removing the tear strip from a container, the same is normally wound into a coil and such winding presents a problem not encountered with the other form of can opener which operates merely to sever the can material itself. During the formation of the coil when removing a tear strip, the coil diameter, of course, increases and the member on which the coil is wound must therefore move relative to the can itself. As a result of such necessity for displacement of the winding member relative to the can as the coil grows in diameter, known devices for removing tear strips have been arranged to function without any guiding or steadying action through connection or supporting engagement with the can. As a consequence, the winding of the coil has been somewhat unstable and even winding of the coil resulted only if extreme care is taken during the operation.

Consequently, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a device for removing a tear strip from a can which will function to provide even, quick winding of the tear strip during its removal regardless of the particular configuration of the can.

More particularly, it is a feature of the invention to provide a tear strip removing device that is arranged to establish sliding engagement with the rim of the can during the removal of the tear strip so that the device in its circumferential traverse of the can will be guided accurately along a path paralleling that of the tear strip.

A further feature relates to the support of the member for winding the tear strip so that the winding member may be displaced relative to the can to accommodate the increasing diameter of the coil during the operation, yet will remain properly disposed so that the winding can proceed evenly and rapidly.

Yet a further feature is the precise structural arrangement for mounting the coil winding member so that the same may be axially displaced subsequent to the winding operation, wherefore the coiled strip will be ejected from the winding member without the necessity for engagement of the strip with the hand.

Yet an additional feature relates to the manner in which the device engages the rim of the can so that, after the tear strip has been removed, it and the body of the can are rendered separable, and the lid can be lifted from the can.

Yet an additional and extremely important feature of the invention is the simple structure of the device which accomplishes the foregoing objects and features, yet can be fabricated for a very nominal cost, such structure including a unitary body member arranged to establish guiding connection with the can and to support the winding member in the correct relative disposition thereon.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from a perusal of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the present invention and illustrated in operative relationship with a cylindrical can,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the rim-engaging portion of the device taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 5 is an end view of this portion of the structure.

With initial reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the device for removing a tear strip includes a body member, generally indicated at 10, formed from a flat metal stamping which is cut and bent to a desired configuration. One end of the body 10 is suitably formed so that it may be attached to a handle 11, while the other end remote from the handle is arranged to engage the rim R of the can C in a manner such that the handle projects away from the can, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. More particularly, the rim-engaging portion 12 of the body member 10 constitutes a downwardly bent, laterally extending portion formed so that the entire body member 10 generally assumes the shape of a T with this rim-engaging portion 12 constituting the head of the T. To provide the desired slidable engagement with the rim R of the can C, each end of the rim-engaging portion 12 is provided with small recesses or indentations, indicated at 13, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. So that the rims of cans having varying configurations can be accommodated by these spaced indentations 13, the central portion of the downwardly bent rim-engaging portion 12 of the structure is cut away as indicated at 14 in Fig. 5. Furthermore, as shown best in Fig. 4, the indentations 13 are shaped so that a hooked edge 13a is provided, the same being adapted to engage the underside of the outer edge of the rim R.

Intermediate its ends, the body member .10 is provided with a longitudinally-extending slot 15 that is arranged to accommodate one portion 16a of a crank 16. The lower end of this crank portion 16:: is provided with an open-ended slot 17 that is adapted to establish engagement with the tear strip S of a can in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and the other end of the crank 16 is provided with a knob 18 so that the same may be rotated to effect the winding of the strip S on the slotted end of the crank. As shown in Fig. 3, the crank portion 16a that extends through the body member slot 15 has a small washer 19 swaged thereon and this washer is arranged for sliding movement within a short metal tube 20. A pair of cups 21, 22 are pressed over the respective opposite ends of the tube 20, each cup having an axial opening in its base to slidably accommodate the crank portion 16a therein. The tube 20 is sufficiently small so that it can slide within the slot 15, but the cups 21, 22 are of larger diameter and are arranged to slidably engage the upper and lower faces of the body member 10 immediately adjacent the slot 15. As will be understood, the assembled tube 20 and cups 21, 22 provide a bearing structure, generally indicated at 23, which may be shifted lengthwise of the slot 15 so that the bearing structure 23 and the crank 16 mounted therein can move towards or away from the can C. However, during such motion, the axis of the bearing structure 23 is always maintained perpendicular to the plane of the body member 10 since the cups 21, 22 are in constant sliding engagement with the upper and lower faces of such body member. Since the crank portion 16a extends through the axial openings in the cups 21, 22, it also is maintained perpendicular to the plane of the body member 11). However, the crank 16 can, of. course, rotate within the bearing structure 23 and can also be shifted axially an amount which is limited only by the engagement of. the washer 19 with the bases of the upper or lower cups 21, 22.

In operation, the rim-engaging portion 12 is placed adjacent the rim R of the can C in the vicinity of the end of the tear strip S. The initial placement is such that the handle 11 lies quite close to the side of the can C and then the handle 11 is brought upwardly to bring the indentations 13 inv the rim-engaging portion 12 down over the rim R of the can C. Such upward swinging movement'of the device is limited by the engagement of the hooked edges 13a previously described with the under edge of the can rim R. The configuration of this hooked edge 13a is such that hooked engagement is established when the handle is disposed substantially horizontally, as viewed in Pig. 2; and any further upward pulling of the handle 11 will merely lift the entire can C from a supporting surface. With the handle in this horizontal disposition, it will be seen that the crank 16 is disposed with its rotative axis substantially in parallelism with the axis of the can C.

By appropriate rotation of the crank 16 and a subsequent displacement thereof with its bearing structure 23 inwardly of the supporting slot 15, the open-ended slot 17 of the crank 16 isbrought over the end of the tear strip S as seen in Fig. 2. Subsequently, while the handle 11 attached to the body member is held in one hand, the other hand is used to turn the crank 16 and thereby instigate winding of the tear strip S in a coil about the slotted endof the crank. As the crank 16 is turned, it Winds the strip S and carries the can C around its axis with the rim R of the can C moving slidably through. the two indentations 13 in the rim-engaging portion 12 of the body member 11 Thus the opener and the can C from which the tear strip is being removed are moving relatively with a'guided motion. As the turning of the crank 16 continues, the tear strip S is wound about the slotted end thereof and gradually forms a coil which increases in diameter. As the coil diameter increases, the crank 16 is forced to move away from the side of the can C, such action being permitted by a displacement of the crank 16 and its bearing structure 23 outwardly in the body member slot 15.

After the coil has been completely removed from the can C, a slight upward pull on the crank 16 will cause the same to move axially within its bearing structure 23, and the engagement of the coil with the lower cup 22 will preclude further upward movement of the coil so that it will be ejected from the end of the crank.

The tear strip having been removed from the crank 16, the lid of the can may now beremoved from its body merely by moving the handle 11. upwardly from its position shown in Fig. 2. Since hooked engagement has been established with the rim R. of the can C, the lid will be lifted from the can o if the body is held against upward movement with such lid. 7

Because of the fact that it is not necessary for the person opening the can to handle the coiled tear strip or to lift the lid of the can with his fingers, there is no possibility of cutting his fingers on the sharp edges of the tear strip or on the can adjacent the position from which the tear strip has been removed.

After removal of the lid from the can, the device may be merely tilted downwardly to release its hooked engagement with the rim of the lid and is then ready for another use.

While the device has been described with respect to a cylindrical can, it will be obvious because of the spaced indentations 13 of the rim-engaging portion 12 of the body member 10, that cans of various configuration can be successfully operated upon in a manner substantially identical to that described. In short, the rim-engaging portion 12 of the device can follow a straight rim or a rim which is curved with a short or long radius and may adjust itself to changes in curvature during its traverse of the rim of any can. Thus, for example, the removal of a. tear strip fromv an irregularly-shapedcan, such as used for packaging barn, is readily accomplished by the described device.

Various alterations and/or modifications of the struc-.

1. A device for removing tear strips from tin cans.

which comprises a body member having laterally-spaced rim-engaging indentations at one end and a slot extending lengthwise thereof at a position intermediate its ends,

, a member arranged to extend through said slot and having an open-ended slot therein for engagement with the tear strip on. a can engaged by said body member, and means for supporting said strip-engaging member for rotation, for displacement towards or away from the can along said lengthwise-extending slot, and for displacement along its rotative axis through said slot, said supportingmeans including a tube surrounding said strip engaging member and disposed for sliding movement along said body-member slot, and a pair of cups pressed on opposite ends of said tube to slidably engage opposite faces of said body member adjacent said slot therein, each cup having an axial opening in its base to slidably accommodate said strip-engaging member.

; 2. A device for removing tear strips according to claim 1 wherein said strip-engaging member constitutes a crank having a portion extending through said tube and the cups thereon, said crank portion having a washer swaged thereon to limit the axial displacement of said crank portion relative to said. tube and said. cups.

References Cited in the file of this patent Hudman Sept. 17', 1957 Consequently, 

